Air France Announces 200 New Direct Routes as France Drops Testing Requirements

It seems the stars are aligning for the French summer getaway of our dreams—and all we can say is, merci!

The French government has scrapped testing requirements for entry into France from almost all non-EU countries, effective since Feb. 12, including the U.S., U.K., and Canada. Previously, non-European travelers seeking entry into the country were required to present a negative COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours of departure.

Once in France, visitors will still need to show proof of vaccination to enter bars, restaurants, and cafes, as well as board public transportation. A booster shot for entry is not required. Unvaccinated travelers coming from countries on France's amber or red lists, like the U.S. and U.K., will be banned from non-essential travel into the country.

With many countries still struggling to meet testing demands, the announcement is bound to make entry into France for vaccinated travelers the least stressful it has been since the rise of the pandemic two years ago.

And just in time, Air France has announced plans to significantly ramp up service between the U.S. and Paris beginning this summer. The carrier will restore daily direct service between New York's John F. Kennedy Airport and Paris-Orly, bumping New York to Paris service up to 7 daily flights. The airline also plans to increase its service to Paris Charles de Gaulle from Dallas with five weekly direct flights and will relaunch its seasonal route to Paris from Denver in May, scheduled to fly three times a week.

The airline plans to operate nearly 200 transatlantic routes by summer, a significant increase from its service offerings in 2019.

The service growth arrives on the heels of the World Health Organization's recent declaration of a "ceasefire" in the pandemic. With critical cases being reported at lower rates, European countries such as Norway, Sweden, and Denmark have also dropped testing requirements for entry and lifted domestic restrictions in recent weeks.